NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has fined Maxwell Ventures (Management) Pty Ltd $15,000 after mine water was allegedly discharged from the Malabar Coal Mine to Saltwater Creek in the Hunter Valley.

EPA Director Hunter Karen Marler said Maxwell Ventures was fined after mine water entered the creek due to an overflow from a dam on the mine site.

“An estimated 6 megalitres of mine water with high levels of salt and sulphate entered the creek after too much mine water was allegedly transferred to the dam resulting in the overflow,” Mrs Marler said.

Maxwell Ventures has been fined for discharging the water and received an official caution for polluting the creek.

“Fortunately, on this occasion there is no evidence of harm to the creek environment,” Mrs Marler said.

Maxwell Ventures have indicated they have made procedural changes to operations to ensure further incidents such as this do not occur in future.

Penalty notices are one of several tools the EPA can use to achieve environmental compliance including formal warnings, official cautions, licence conditions, notices and directions and prosecutions.

For more information about the EPA’s regulatory tools, see the EPA Compliance Policy at www.epa.nsw.gov.au/legislation/prosguid.htm